Gentle Mates exit CS2 as Spanish core returns to Iberian Soul

Gentle Mates have officially withdrawn from Counter-Strike, ending their association with the Spanish roster they signed less than a year ago. The remaining core of Alejandro "alex" Masanet, Alejandro "mopoz" Fernández-Quejo Cano, Pere "sausol" Solsona Saumell and David "dav1g" Granado Bermudo has returned to the Iberian Soul name and is competing independently at the Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier.

The change was announced on August 7, confirming an exit that had been expected since June, when Gentle Mates co-founder Corentin "Gotaga" Houssein revealed that the organization intended to leave Counter-Strike and was exploring a sale of its roster.

By the time the split became official, however, Gentle Mates' original five-man lineup had already been broken up. Primary AWPer Antonio "MartinezSa" Martinez transferred to HEROIC on July 7, with veteran Dutch sniper Joey "CRUC1AL" Steusel subsequently brought in as a stand-in. Daniel "djL" Narancic is currently assisting the team as coach.

The return to Iberian Soul therefore represents more than a change of name. The four-man Spanish core is once again without organizational backing and still does not have a permanent fifth player. alex has confirmed that the Esports World Cup qualifier will be CRUC1AL's final event with the team, while also revealing that the lineup is already holding talks with organizations about its future.

Quick Summary

Detail	Information
Team	Iberian Soul
Organization leaving	Gentle Mates
Active core	alex, mopoz, sausol, dav1g
Previous permanent AWPer	MartinezSa
MartinezSa's new team	HEROIC
Current fifth	CRUC1AL — stand-in
IGL	alex
Current AWPer	CRUC1AL — temporary
Coach	djL
Gentle Mates exit date	August 7, 2026
Current event	Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier
Next confirmed match	vs. 6666, August 8
Main storyline	Iberian Soul need new organizational backing and a permanent AWPer

 

What Changed?

Gentle Mates are no longer involved in Counter-Strike. Instead of disbanding, the Spanish players who remained with the project have resumed competing under Iberian Soul, the organization-less identity the core used before signing with Gentle Mates in August 2025.

The current situation is the result of several changes rather than one clean five-for-five roster transition.

Eloy "deLonge" Suárez was first moved from the head-coaching position to the bench on April 21 after working with the core through its KOI, Iberian Soul and Gentle Mates periods. He later announced his free agency in early August.

Gentle Mates then revealed in June that they intended to leave Counter-Strike and were exploring potential buyers for the lineup. At that point MartinezSa was still part of the roster, and HLTV reported interest from FaZe in the Spanish AWPer. That move did not materialize, but MartinezSa ultimately joined HEROIC on July 7.

CRUC1AL subsequently stepped into the vacant sniper position on a temporary basis. He remained with the team through its final Gentle Mates tournaments and has travelled with the players to Riyadh for the Esports World Cup qualifier.

Gentle Mates then formally ended the project on August 7, leaving alex, mopoz, sausol and dav1g to continue as Iberian Soul.

Previous Roster vs Current Roster

Gentle Mates before MartinezSa's transfer

• Alejandro "alex" Masanet — IGL/rifler
• Alejandro "mopoz" Fernández-Quejo Cano — rifler
• Pere "sausol" Solsona Saumell — rifler
• David "dav1g" Granado Bermudo — rifler
• Antonio "MartinezSa" Martinez — AWPer
• Ángel "repk3ys" Gracia Navarro — coach

This was the lineup listed when Gentle Mates' plan to exit Counter-Strike became public in June.

Current Iberian Soul lineup

• Alejandro "alex" Masanet — IGL/rifler
• Alejandro "mopoz" Fernández-Quejo Cano — rifler
• Pere "sausol" Solsona Saumell — rifler
• David "dav1g" Granado Bermudo — rifler
• Joey "CRUC1AL" Steusel — AWPer, stand-in
• Daniel "djL" Narancic — coach

 

The important distinction is that CRUC1AL should not be treated as a permanent MartinezSa replacement. alex has said that the Esports World Cup qualifier is expected to be his final tournament with the lineup.

Why Did Gentle Mates Leave Counter-Strike?

Gentle Mates' August 7 announcement was brief, but the organization's intention to leave had already been publicly explained weeks earlier.

Gotaga said Gentle Mates were spending between €800,000 and €1 million per year on their Counter-Strike operation while discussing the decision to withdraw. Major qualification — and the revenue associated with reaching Counter-Strike's biggest events — had been an important part of the project's economic equation.

The roster came close to securing a place at the IEM Cologne Major during the spring but slipped outside the qualification range after disappointing finishes at BC Game Masters and Stake Ranked Episode 1 shortly before the invite cut-off.

That timeline is important because Gentle Mates' exit should not be interpreted as a reaction to Iberian Soul's surprise loss to 6666 at the Esports World Cup qualifier. The organization's intention to leave was already public on June 23, more than six weeks before that match.

How Gentle Mates Got Here

The organization entered Counter-Strike on August 25, 2025 by signing Iberian Soul, ending an extended period during which the Spanish lineup had competed without organizational backing. The roster at the time featured alex, mopoz, sausol, dav1g and MartinezSa, with deLonge as coach.

The core itself had deeper roots in the Spanish scene. alex had joined Iberian Soul in January 2025, reconnecting with players he knew from the broader Movistar Riders period, while MartinezSa completed the lineup during the following summer before the Gentle Mates deal.

Results under Gentle Mates were strongest away from the biggest tier-one events. The team won IstanbuLAN 2026 and CCT 2026 Europe Series 2, while also collecting runner-up and playoff finishes across several European events.

Breaking through consistently at higher-level tournaments proved more difficult. During the Gentle Mates period, the roster failed to reach the playoffs at events including PGL Masters Bucharest, ESL Pro League, IEM Rio and PGL Astana.

The team nevertheless remained competitive enough around the second tier to stay in contention for important invitations, which made missing the Cologne Major particularly significant for the project.

The MartinezSa Departure Changed the Roster

Gentle Mates' organizational exit and MartinezSa's transfer are separate moves, but together they define Iberian Soul's current situation.

MartinezSa joined HEROIC on July 7 as the international side's new dedicated AWPer. HEROIC brought him in after playing with Simon "yxngstxr" Boije as a makeshift sniper, giving MartinezSa an opportunity to return to a permanent primary-AWP position in an established international lineup.

His departure left the Spanish core without a permanent sniper at precisely the point when its organizational future was already uncertain.

CRUC1AL was the practical short-term solution. The 29-year-old Dutchman is a career AWPer whose résumé includes long spells with Endpoint and Into the Breach, including a run to the quarter-finals of the BLAST.tv Paris Major in 2023.

He was never announced as a permanent signing, however, and alex's confirmation that the EWC qualifier will be his final event makes the vacant AWP position the clearest roster issue Iberian Soul must solve next.

Why This Change Matters

The biggest competitive positive for Iberian Soul is continuity.

alex remains the in-game leader, while mopoz, sausol and dav1g have stayed together through the Gentle Mates exit. That gives the team a four-player structure around which to rebuild rather than forcing a complete reset.

The uncertainty is concentrated in two areas: the AWP role and organizational support.

MartinezSa had occupied the primary sniper position in the Spanish lineup since joining Iberian Soul in July 2025. Replacing that role permanently will affect the team's economy, opening structure and defensive setups regardless of who eventually takes the position.

CRUC1AL at least allows Iberian Soul to maintain a conventional dedicated-AWPer setup during the EWC qualifier. But because his stint is temporary, tactical conclusions from the current lineup have limited value: the eventual fifth could require another redistribution of responsibilities.

There is also the less visible issue of stability. Competing without an organization means the players are simultaneously trying to produce results, identify a permanent fifth and find new backing. alex acknowledged that the uncertainty surrounding the team's future has affected the group mentally and confirmed that talks with organizations are taking place.

Recent Form

Gentle Mates' final weeks were inconsistent.

With CRUC1AL standing in, the team opened Stake Ranked Episode 3 with a 2-0 victory over Wildcard before losing to Ninjas in Pyjamas and 3DMAX. They were then eliminated 0-2 by paiN in BLAST Bounty Season 2.

Their final event under the Gentle Mates name was the StarLadder StarSeries Fall Europe Closed Qualifier. They beat 3DMAX and Walczaki but lost twice to magic, finishing in the 5th-8th place range.

The return to Iberian Soul began at the Esports World Cup Open Qualifier on August 7. The team suffered a 1-2 opening loss to Ukrainian side 6666 before responding with a 2-0 victory over FKOMAR.

That set up a rematch with 6666 in the Group H decider on August 8.

Role Changes and Tactical Impact

For the moment, the basic structure is clear in only two areas: alex continues to lead the side, and CRUC1AL is operating as the primary AWPer.

The four Spanish players therefore retain the central leadership and rifling framework from the previous roster, while the AWP slot has changed from MartinezSa to a temporary replacement.

That should help Iberian Soul avoid rebuilding every part of their system at once, but there is no reason to assume the current setup will survive unchanged after the EWC qualifier. If the eventual fifth has a different profile from CRUC1AL, alex may need to adjust opening responsibilities, economy allocation and CT-side positions around the new player.

Those are projections rather than confirmed tactical changes. No permanent fifth has been announced.

Interesting Facts

• Gentle Mates' Counter-Strike run lasted 347 days, from the signing of Iberian Soul on August 25, 2025 to the official exit on August 7, 2026.
• The remaining players have returned to the same Iberian Soul identity they used before joining Gentle Mates.
• MartinezSa is the only member of Gentle Mates' original five to have already secured a new permanent team, joining HEROIC on July 7.
• CRUC1AL is only a stand-in and is expected to leave the lineup after the Esports World Cup qualifier.
• Former head coach deLonge was benched in April and is now a free agent.
• The EWC Open Qualifier is being played on LAN in Riyadh and awards four places at the $2 million main tournament, which is scheduled for August 19-23.

What Does the New Iberian Soul Roster Look Like?

Calling the current lineup "new" is somewhat misleading. Four-fifths of its foundation remains intact from Gentle Mates; what has changed is the environment around the players.

The roster still has an experienced IGL in alex and a familiar Spanish rifling core in mopoz, sausol and dav1g. That continuity gives Iberian Soul a functioning base rather than an entirely new project.

Its most obvious weakness is uncertainty. CRUC1AL's temporary status means there is no confirmed long-term AWPer, while the absence of an organization creates a second unresolved issue away from the server.

Whether the eventual version of Iberian Soul is stronger or weaker than the Gentle Mates lineup cannot be judged until that fifth player is known. MartinezSa's departure removed an established primary sniper; who replaces him permanently will determine far more about the roster's competitive ceiling than the return to the Iberian Soul name itself.

When Will Iberian Soul Play Next?

Iberian Soul have already made their competitive return.

Their first matches following the Gentle Mates exit came in the Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier in Riyadh, where they lost 1-2 to 6666 and defeated FKOMAR 2-0 on August 7.

At the time of writing, their next listed match is another best-of-three against 6666 on August 8, this time in the Group H decider.

The qualifier offers four places at the Esports World Cup main event, scheduled for August 19-23.

What Comes Next?

Iberian Soul's immediate priorities are unusually clear.

First, they need to complete the Esports World Cup qualifier with CRUC1AL. After that event, the fifth position is expected to reopen, meaning the team will need to identify a permanent AWPer or restructure the lineup around a different solution.

Second, the players need a new organization. alex has said discussions are already underway, but no agreement has been announced. Any potential destination should therefore be treated as unconfirmed until the team or an organization makes it official.

For now, the one certainty is that Gentle Mates' Counter-Strike project is finished. Iberian Soul survives, but the version competing in Riyadh is transitional: four established Spanish players, one temporary AWPer and a team name that once again reflects its organization-less status.

FAQ

What is Iberian Soul's current CS2 roster?

Iberian Soul are currently playing with alex, mopoz, sausol, dav1g and CRUC1AL, with djL coaching the team. CRUC1AL is a stand-in rather than a confirmed permanent fifth.

Did Gentle Mates leave Counter-Strike?

Yes. Gentle Mates officially announced the end of their Counter-Strike project on August 7, 2026.

Who left Gentle Mates before the organization exited CS2?

MartinezSa transferred to HEROIC on July 7, leaving the roster without its permanent AWPer.

Who is Iberian Soul's IGL?

alex is the team's in-game leader.

Who is Iberian Soul's AWPer?

CRUC1AL is currently handling the AWP role as a stand-in. The EWC qualifier is expected to be his final event with the team, so Iberian Soul do not yet have a confirmed permanent AWPer.

Are Iberian Soul joining another organization?

No new organization has been confirmed. alex has said the team is in talks with organizations, but the lineup remains under the Iberian Soul name for now.